Talk about your kittehs!

[Avatar]

Haha, good idea.

--A

[Sorus]

It's more comfortable than it looks. Used to use my desk as a standing desk, but I'd need to put my monitor on the top shelf to make that viable, and as you can see from my avatar, the top shelf is Property of Cat.

[Vraith]

Set-up/background: At my wife's college, they have this thing J-term. A class all day, every weekday, during January [duh]. During this class, it's become a tradition for her to host movie night for her students.
One night, flick was "How to Train Your Dragon" I and II.
Discovery:
One of our cats LOVES THE DRAGONS...the track/noise is like sonic catnip or something.
The first mass scene in the first flick he came FLYING into the room, and froze, fascinated, watching the flick, ears twitching and tracking...For the rest of the night, every time there was a dragon sound...ZOOM--freeze--watch movie.
Now, whenever he's disappeared for a while [he has his secrets and hide-outs] ...I just turn on the movie and dial up the dragons, he comes on the run every single time.

[lucimay]

One of our cats LOVES THE DRAGONS...the track/noise is like sonic catnip or something.
The first mass scene in the first flick he came FLYING into the room, and froze, fascinated, watching the flick, ears twitching and tracking...For the rest of the night, every time there was a dragon sound...ZOOM--freeze--watch movie.
Now, whenever he's disappeared for a while [he has his secrets and hide-outs] ...I just turn on the movie and dial up the dragons, he comes on the run every single time.

hahahaha!!!


THAT'S HILARIOUS!!!!! I think Mook's eyesight makes him immune to tv or monitor screens and that's partly why I think he's near-sighted, he has to be right up on my desk, 5 or 6 inches from the monitor to notice the cursor or anything moving on my screen. but your cat is triggering to the *sound* of the dragon? maybe I should rent it and see if it has the same effect on Mook!! lol!! the only sound that we've found that triggers Mook out of any secret hiding places (any and all of the kitchen or laundry room cabinets which he can open on his own) or other places in the house is the sound of the back door opening...it has jingle bells on it so the dogs can notify that they need to go out...not that they DO notify that way, neither Harry nor Thunder ever jingles the bells, they just come and whine at us. my sister in law's dogs (Bella and Jazz, both teeny little mini pins, both of whom are now passed over) used to notify, they were trained to do that, but Harry and Thunder were not and never learned. Harry will jingle them VERY very occasionally if he's insistent and we are right there not paying attention to him, but usually he just whine or give out little Chewbacca like woofs. (harry speaks wookie) so yah anytime the back door opens and the jingle bells jingle, Mook comes arunnin. lol.

[Vraith]

but your cat is triggering to the *sound* of the dragon?

Yea, it's definitely the sound that gets it started...but I have to keep him back from screen once he comes...cuz he will reach out to paw the flyers he sees, and I don't need my tv crashing to the floor.

Both him and his much older brother [now gone, sadly] are/were often attracted by sound of crying babies or big-cats on nature channel, too.

[Sorus]

None of mine are very interested in TV - occasionally some movement will catch their eye, but they lose attention quickly. When Min was younger, she was obsessed with some of the Warlock minions in WoW - she'd circle around the monitor trying to figure out how to get at them.

[Skyweir]

Cats are fun

[Vraith]

None of mine are very interested in TV - occasionally some movement will catch their eye, but they lose attention quickly. When Min was younger, she was obsessed with some of the Warlock minions in WoW - she'd circle around the monitor trying to figure out how to get at them.

I'll have to look and see if I can find it again...but once I found a site that you could click on pics of your cat's features, and it would show you a profile of its likely preferences, behaviors, susceptibilities...and it was eerily accurate.
I found it cuz the previously mentioned/now passed on cat would play fetch. And I mean fetch like a well-trained Frisbee dog. throw hes toy anywhere, any distance, he'd go get it, bring it back and drop it at your feet.
I searched, found that place, clicked on his face/color/ears/fur-type/a couple other things I don't recall...First sentence of profile was something like "Many owners call them puppy-cats." [[at the time, we had 2 others...it was spot on about them, too.]]

[Sorus]

That sounds like an interesting site. Most of mine are mixed to the point where it's difficult to focus on any breed-specific personality traits.

[lucimay]

throw his toy anywhere, any distance, he'd go get it, bring it back and drop it at your feet

oh!! Mook does that!! but only with one very specific toy. really he doesn't play with any other kind of cat toys we've gotten him, just this one specific stuffed dragonfly on a string on a stick! he loves it so much that i've had to buy prolly a dozen of them thus far in the last 5 years. (the last time i bought 4 of them because they were really hard to find, petsmart doesn't sell them out here and they are specifically a petsmart product.) ANYway... yeah he started doing the fetching thing with this toy probably the first month we had him (i think he was 5 mos old when we got him) and has been doing it ever since and shows little or no interest in any other cat toys. much prefers plastic shopping bags or cardboard boxes or ever now and then if one of the dogs' kibble hits the floor he'll chase that around the house for a while (hardwood floors.) he's so funny about that damned dragonfly...if harry or thunder come near it he will give a low growl way down in his chest. i think that's because once harry chewed up the plastic stick it was on! lol yeah they don't go near it now. mook will even drag it to where you are if he's in the mood to play.
i once read in some cat book or other that play is love to the kittehs.

[Avatar]

Harley and Penny each have a pom-pom that they brought with them when they moved in.

(Seriously...their previous owner bought them, and for a while, Harley used to bring it from her original home, play with it in our place, and then take it back. Then suddenly it was permanently here, and so was she...)

They don't play with them much, but they're the go-to toys if we're not playing with them. They'll then start playing with the pom-pom on their own.

--A

[Skyweir]

hahahahaha thats hilarious .. how they BECAME your cats.

We had one we INHERITED. The previous owners kinda just left him. He was the awesomest kitty too .. he used to play my piano.. very smart kitty.

He would jump on top of it if he wanted to go out ... and if I was busy with the kids or pretty much anything that delayed my response ... hed catch my eye hold his paw next to photos on top of the piano .. Id say no SnowPea dont you dare ... and like a red rag to a bull .. hed knock it to the floor .. and move on to his next victim

Funny

I had a ragdoll that LOVED catch .. just like a dog. In fact MORE than my dog.

Weirdos .. but fun

[Vraith]

Then suddenly it was permanently here,

Hah...that's funny.
All but one of our cats over the years we got from shelters or friends. The one is my current dragon-lover.
I was out for one of my many walks [[I walk a lot. People talk their 10k steps a day? Usually got that before lunch.]]
This kitten comes charging out of some bushes and hurls himself onto my foot in midstep, and starts rolling and purring...LOUD. I pet him for a minute, start walking. For the next mile-ish he:
Follows me at heel for about 10 steps. Runs of into a bush or attacks a leaf or bug. Sees I'm getting away. Yells. Sprints over and hurls himself on my foot. Roll, wiggle, purr.
Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. The whole way home.
I call my wife to come outside. She takes one step into the yard...Sprint, Hurl on foot, roll, wiggle, purr.
We put up signs...no responses.
That's how you get a cat, I guess.

Totally unrelated: this is more my wife than the cats. Every one we have ends up with at least 3 names. The real one, the one mostly used, and the silly/play one.
For instance---Dragon-lover is officially Commander Vimes. His current sister is officially Alia of the Knife [[she has the sharpest claws of any cat I ever encountered]]. For treat time/play time Bug and Girl. For cuddle time, or when they have the zoomies, Mr. Wiggles and 'Sneezes.
This is all my wife's doing. Before her, all my pets had one name.

PS: how th hell did I get sucked into cat-talk???

[lucimay]

Then suddenly it was permanently here,

Hah...that's funny.
All but one of our cats over the years we got from shelters or friends. The one is my current dragon-lover.
I was out for one of my many walks [[I walk a lot. People talk their 10k steps a day? Usually got that before lunch.]]
This kitten comes charging out of some bushes and hurls himself onto my foot in midstep, and starts rolling and purring...LOUD. I pet him for a minute, start walking. For the next mile-ish he:
Follows me at heel for about 10 steps. Runs of into a bush or attacks a leaf or bug. Sees I'm getting away. Yells. Sprints over and hurls himself on my foot. Roll, wiggle, purr.
Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. The whole way home.
I call my wife to come outside. She takes one step into the yard...Sprint, Hurl on foot, roll, wiggle, purr.
We put up signs...no responses.
That's how you get a cat, I guess.

Totally unrelated: this is more my wife than the cats. Every one we have ends up with at least 3 names. The real one, the one mostly used, and the silly/play one.
For instance---Dragon-lover is officially Commander Vimes. His current sister is officially Alia of the Knife [[she has the sharpest claws of any cat I ever encountered]]. For treat time/play time Bug and Girl. For cuddle time, or when they have the zoomies, Mr. Wiggles and 'Sneezes.
This is all my wife's doing. Before her, all my pets had one name.

PS: how th hell did I get sucked into cat-talk???

OMG i love the story of how you got the kitteh!!!! i have always thought that our pets choose US. that there is the PROOF!

mook has many names as well, Mooky the Pooky, Mookasaurus Rex, Thug, Mooker. as do Harry and Thunder, Harryboobeerry, Harold Edward (when he is misbehaving!), Tundie, Thunderbuns, Thunderbunder, etc. all affectionate terms.

[Sorus]

Totally unrelated: this is more my wife than the cats. Every one we have ends up with at least 3 names. The real one, the one mostly used, and the silly/play one.
For instance---Dragon-lover is officially Commander Vimes. His current sister is officially Alia of the Knife [[she has the sharpest claws of any cat I ever encountered]]. For treat time/play time Bug and Girl. For cuddle time, or when they have the zoomies, Mr. Wiggles and 'Sneezes.
This is all my wife's doing. Before her, all my pets had one name.

Commander Vimes? And not one of his nicknames is Sam?

That's still awesome.

[Vraith]

Commander Vimes? And not one of his nicknames is Sam?

Oh, hell no...cuz that would make complete sense. No one wants that!

HEY...I just realized...Vimeses Lady [[and therefore him]] had a dragon thing.

[Menolly]

Totally unrelated: this is more my wife than the cats. Every one we have ends up with at least 3 names. The real one, the one mostly used, and the silly/play one.
For instance---Dragon-lover is officially Commander Vimes. His current sister is officially Alia of the Knife [[she has the sharpest claws of any cat I ever encountered]]. For treat time/play time Bug and Girl. For cuddle time, or when they have the zoomies, Mr. Wiggles and 'Sneezes.
This is all my wife's doing. Before her, all my pets had one name.

The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,
It isn't just one of your holiday games;
You may think at first I'm as mad as a hatter
When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.
First of all, there's the name that the family use daily,
Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James,
Such as Victor or Jonathan, George or Bill Bailey--
All of them sensible everyday names.
There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter,
Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames:
Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter--
But all of them sensible everyday names.
But I tell you, a cat needs a name that's particular,
A name that's peculiar, and more dignified,
Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular,
Or spread out his whiskers, or cherish his pride?
Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum,
Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Coricopat,
Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum-
Names that never belong to more than one cat.
But above and beyond there's still one name left over,
And that is the name that you never will guess;
The name that no human research can discover--
But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess.
When you notice a cat in profound meditation,
The reason, I tell you, is always the same:
His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation
Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name:
His ineffable effable
Effanineffable
Deep and inscrutable singular Name.

[Avatar]

I don't name my cats. The only reason Harley and Penny have names is because I learned them from the original owner.

Neither my ginger, nor the 2 that came before him were named.

--A

[Savor Dam]

When speaking to M. or other humans, how do you refer to the cats when referencing a specific feline?

[Sorus]

Bare minimum, my vet insists on names. Took me a week to name Director Donner because I'd been planning to adopt a male cat, and none of the names I had thought of would work on her. They called me every day to ask if she had a name yet - guess it was messing up their files. One of my ferals was Baby Wildthing in their system for a while. (He got a real name, but the nickname stuck.)